Health plan to raise taxes on rich

House proposal for universal coverage

Posted: Wednesday, July 15, 2009

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WASHINGTON - House Democrats rolled out a far-reaching plan Tuesday that for the first time would make health care a right and a responsibility for all Americans, with medical providers, employers and the wealthiest picking up most of the tab.

The federal government would be responsible for ensuring that every person, regardless of income or state of health, has access to an affordable insurance plan. Individuals and employers would have new obligations to get coverage or face hefty penalties.

Health care overhaul is President Obama's top domestic priority, and his goal is to slow rising costs and provide coverage to nearly 50 million uninsured Americans.

Democratic leaders said they would push the measure through committee and toward a vote in the full House by month's end, while Majority Leader Harry Reid said he wanted Senate floor debate to begin a week from Monday. Other officials said that timetable was likely to slip. Even so, it underscored a renewed sense of urgency.

The House legislation unveiled by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats would slow the growth of Medicare and Medicaid payments to medical providers. From big hospitals to solo physician practices, providers also would be held to account for quality care, not just ordering up tests and procedures.

Insurance companies would be prohibited from denying coverage to the sick, and would face stiff competition from a new government plan designed along the lines of Medicare.

The plan lacked figures on total costs, but a House Democratic aide said the total bill would add up to about $1.5 trillion over 10 years. Most of the costs come in the final five years, after the 2012 presidential election.